Automatic beminder



i 5 n n n n I n n n i n l i I i 5 l i n l n May 20, 1930. L. Y. L AsslrER AUTOMATIC REMINDER Filed April 17,.

'Patented May 2o, 1930 1,759,409

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEON Y. LASSITER, OFTU'LSA, OKLAHOMA AUTOMATIC REMINDER Applcationlled April 17, 1926-. .Serial No. 102,756.

This invention comprehends the provision taken in connection with the accompanying of a machine adapted to receive notations of drawings, the invention residing in the con- Vmatters about which the user desires to be 1estruction, combination and arrangement of minded of in the future, and designed to perparts as claimed.

form this duty at the exact desired time. In the drawings forming part of this appli- In carrying` out the invention, I contemcation like numerals of reference indicate plate the use of means having significance similar parts in the several views and with regard to different periods of time, and wherein: adapted to have recorded thereon, with ref- Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine conerence to some predetermined time in the fustructed in accordance with one embodiment 60 ture, the matter concerning which the user of the invention. desires to be reminded of, so that when said Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional predetermined period arrives, the matter will view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1. be brou ht to View at some particular part of Figure 3 is a view of a modication of the the mac ine. feed mechanism for the movable tape. 65

Another important object of the invention Figure 4 is a similar View of another modiresides in the provision of an automatically iication. operable signal utilized to direct the attention Figure 5 is another modification of feed 'said means with a predetermined speed, so mechanism for the movable tape.

that said subject matter will be brought to Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of 70 view on the machine at the exact time desired. Fi ure 1.

Another object of the invention resides in igure 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of the use of time controlled mechanism for Figure 1. operating the signal at a pretermined time .in Referring now more particularly to the the future for the purpose above specified. drawings, 10 indicates Athe casing or cabinet 75 The invention further comprehends means of the machine, which of course may be conhaving indicia thereon indicative of different structed of any suitable material, and vary in periods of time, and upon which the subject size and configuration without departing matter to be reminded of is recorded with from the inventive idea. The top wall 11 of reference to a particular period or periods, this casing is provided with spaced openings 80 and time controlled mechanism to operate 12 which partly receive rollers 13 and 14 resaid means withapredetermined speed, sothat Spectively for a purpose to be presently de-` said subject matter will be brought to view on scribed. J ournaled within ,the casing is a the machine at the exact time desired. roller 15 adapted to support a roll of tape, and

I also contemplate the use of a time confromwhich the tape is adapted to be unwound 35 trolled spring motor for operating the indicia by a time controlled mechanism to be hereincarrying means, together with means for autoafter described, the tape passing through'the Y matically rewinding the motor at predeteropenings 12 above referred to and trained mined periods. over the rollers'13 and 14 respectively.- As

40 A further object ofthe invention resides in shown in Fi ure 2, a portion of the tape 90 the provision of a signal included in a nortravels over t e upper wall of the casing, bemally open circuit, with means operable at ing exposed so that the notations of matter to a predetermined time for making and breakbe remmded of 1n the future can be coning said circuit, whereby the signal is opervenlently recorded on the tape. -J before ated for an appreciable length of time when the tape pas ses over the roller 14, 1t passes 95 the subject matter to be reminded of has been beneath what I term a sight compartment brought to a position on'the machine to be arranged directlyabove' one of the openings viewed, 12, and in this specific instance, consisting of Other' objects and advantages will appear flanges 16 between which is supported a vision from the following detail description when or slght glass 17. v 100 The tape 18 is constructed to bear significance with regard to different periods of time, and the matter desired to be reminded of in the future is adapted to be recorded on the tape With reference to some particular period or periods of time. For this purpose the tape is preferablydivided by score lines 19 into a plurality of sections 20, each section being provided with indicia relative to some particular period of time. The manner in which the various sections are so timed depends upon the speed with which the tape is moved beneath the sight compartment above referred to, and this of course is regulated by a. time controlled mechanism to be presently described.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention this mechanism includes a pair of friction rollers 21 and 22 respectively, between Which the tape is gripped and gradually unwound thereby 'from the roller 15.

The tape preferably passes through an opening 23' in the bottom of the casing 10, and after passing through said opening can be destroyed or kept for further use as desired. A spring motor indicated generally at 24 is arranged within the casing and includes a gear 25 which operates the adjacent friction roller 21 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the speed of this motor 24 being regulated by a clock mechanismindicated generallyv at 2G and including a small gear 27 which meshes With the gear 25 of the motor.

In use of this form of the invention the matter desired to be reminded of in the future is recorded upon the tape 18 with reference to some particular period of time, the tape being gradually moved beneath the sight compartment by the mechanism just described. For example, the tape may be ruled or divided by the lines .19 into one inch sections 20, each section representing thirty .minutes of time. Now suppose a person using the machine makes an engagement at eight oclock in the morning for four oclock in the afternoon, and desires to be reminded of. the engagement at three-thirty. The section 20 of the tape directly under the vision glass 17'of the'sight compartment is marked eight oclock, and each of the other sections is correspondingly marked, adding thirty minutes of time to each section in consecutive order in the direction of the roller 13. The vmatter desired to bereminded of is then noted upon the'particular section of the tape designated at'three-thirty, and the machine put int'o operation.. The feed mechanism for the tape is regulated to move the latter one inch in thirty minutes, so that the matter noted on the section designated threethirty will be brought to view beneath'the vision glass 17 exactly at that time. After the matter has been recorded upon the tape a cover 28. with which the machineis provided is closed to protect the tape from dust or other foreign matter, although the cover is held slightly spaced from the tapeso as not to interfere With its movement by means of spaced stops 29 upon which the cover reposes. This cover of course may be hinged as shown or arranged to open and close in any other suitable manner.

In Figure 3 I haveshown a slight modification of the feed mechanism for the tape, wherein the tape 30 when unvvound from the roller 31 is wound about a larger roller 32, the tape of course passing over smaller rollers 33 and 34 respectively. The roller 32 is operated by a friction roller 35 which in turn is rotated through the instrumentality of a spring motor 36 including the gear 37. This spring motor" is timed to feed the tape through the machine at a desired speed by means of a clock mechanism indicated generally at 38. The free end of the tape is ofA course initially secured tothe roller 32 about which it is Wound as it unvvinds from the roller 31. In practice roller 32 is mounted in spring-pressed or other suitable bearings (not shown) adapting it to yield away from the driving surface of roll 35 on successive rotations as the tape Winds thereon.

In Figure 4 I have shown another slight modiiication of the feed mechanism, Wherein one of the feed rollers'39 and 40lrespectively is provided With teeth 41 which are received by openings or perforations 42 arranged along one of the edges of the tape.

In Figure 5 I have shown a still further modified construction of the tape feed mechanism Which includes a segment 43 to which the free end of the tape 44 is adapted to be attached, after being passed over a guide roller 45. This segment is adapted to move in an arc, being operated by a spring motor indicated -generally at 46 and including a gear 47 which meshes With a gear 48, the latter in turn meshing with the gear 49 as shown. This last mentioned gear is carried by the shaft supporting the segment 43, the initial position of the latter being indicated by full lines in Figure 5. The speed with which this segment is operated is also controlled by a clock mechanism indicated generally at 50. Carried by the segment 43 is a pawl 51 which moves over a ratchet Wheel 5.2 as the segment moves from its initial position to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figurev 5, holding the segment against return movement until the pawl is released.

Now, when the subject matter to be remindedof is brought to view beneath the vision glass 17, a signal is automatically operated to direct the attention of the person to. the machine. While this signal may be of any suitable type, it is included in a normally open circuit, the latter being closed at a predetermined period for the purpose specified. In accordance with this embodiment of the inventionv I have shown a signal 53 (Fig. 6)

included in a circuit with the source of curalong said guide and operative for erforatrent indicated at 54. This circuit also ining any division ofthe tape expose between cludes a switch arranged within the sight the openings. compartment and including a xed contact In testimony whereof I aix mg si ature. 5 55 and a relatively movable resilient contact LEQN Y. LA SI ER. 7

. 56. These contacts 55 and 56 respectively n v are arranged at opposite sides of the tape which hold the movable contact spaced from the fixed contact as will be readily understood. In order to close the circuit to the 75 signal 53 at a predetermined period of time, the particular section 2O of the ta e desigmated-by said predetermined perio of time is provided with an opening 57 to allow the movable contact 56 under'its own resiliency so to move into engagement with the fixed contact, when that particular section of the tape arrives at the position directly beneath the vision glass 17. The signal is then automatically operated, and continues in operag5 tion for an appreciable length of time. How lon the signal continues in operation largely epends upon the s ize of the opening 57, because the signal Operatesuntil the tape y separates the movable contact from the fixed p 90 contact as will be readily understood.

In order that any section of the tape may be easily and quickly provided with an opening 57 for the purpose just stated, I employ a punch mounted to slide upon a suitable bar 95 58 arranged upon the machine as shown in Figure 1. This punch includes a ixed jaw 59 which slides beneath the tape, and a movable jaw 60 arranged directly above the tape but slightly spaced therefrom so that the 100 punch in its entiret can be quickly arranged along any part of t e tape. Then by simply depressing the movable )aw 60 of the punch the opening 57 is rovided in that section of the tape upon w ich the notation of the 1m matter to be reminded of is also recorded.`

While it is believed that from the fore- Y going description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily ap arent-I desire to have it understood that do not n.

limit myself to anything herein shown andy described, and that such changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be v resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed. l 11| What I claim is: In an automatic reminder, a cabinet having a top provided with spaced openings, a traveling tape movable from within the cabinet to the outside thereof through one of said openingsand across the top of the cabinet tov the other opening and thence Ithrough the latter-named opening back into the cabinet, 50 said .tape being divided into sections of equal 123 dimensions, each havingA indicia indicative of a particular period of time, a guide extending along the portion of the tape lying over the surface of the cabinet top between l o5 said openings, and aperforator 'movable 1S 

